Area Health Education Centers Program

The Saint Louis University Area Health Education Center program office was established
in 2001. Its primary goal is to enhance access to quality healthcare through community-academic
educational partnerships focusing on the healthcare needs of the underserved St. Louis
area.

Area Health Education Centers were developed in the early 1970s as a means to address
the maldistribution of health professionals in urban and rural medically underserved
areas throughout the nation. There are more than 40 AHEC programs active in the network.

SLU's AHEC program office works in conjunction with the Missouri AHEC Network (MAHEC), which consists of seven regional centers and three program offices. We also work
directly with the East Central Missouri Area Health Education Center (ECMO AHEC) providing
services in the St. Louis region and within SLU's health professions programs.

Vision Statement

The SLU AHEC program office envisions a society where all members have access to quality
healthcare, where there is a plentiful supply of culturally competent health professionals
representative of the urban populations they serve.

Mission Statement

The SLU AHEC program office will promote access to quality interprofessional health
care in the metropolitan St. Louis area, particularly focusing on the underserved
urban areas by:

Improving the retention of health professionals practicing in underserved areas.

Value Statements

The SLU AHEC program office will achieve its mission and vision through the core values
of:

Diversity

We value the diversity of cultures and backgrounds of people who live in our community.
We support activities and policies that eliminate health disparity inequities in our
primary health care system.

Community Service

We recognize that the strength, focus and ultimate mission of the AHEC Program rest
on its service to the community. We are actively working in partnership with community
health agencies and advisory boards to achieve our mission.

Collaboration

We embrace involvement with participants who can inform program activities. We will
develop and strengthen multidisciplinary partnerships through interprofessional, collaborative
approaches.

Advocacy

We advocate for comprehensive strategies to positively impact a more diverse health
care professional workforce.

Educational Interventions

In addition to family medicine residency training and continuing medical education, SLU'sAHEC program office offers the following:

Preceptorships

We place medical, nursing and allied health profession students in urban, underserved
settings (e.g., community health centers, federally qualified health centers and hospitals)
for clinical experiences. These sites promote interesting places to establish professional
careers.

Coursework

Students in health professions are provided coursework specific to addressing culturally-related
needs and serving the underserved. This includes curriculum during a four-week family
medicine clerkship required of all medical students.

Information Dissemination

Technical Assistance

To reduce professional isolation, increase retention and enhance the practice environment
in underserved areas.

Housing

We provide low-cost housing to health profession students who are placed in urban
clinics for rotations. Housing units include two bedrooms, kitchen, television, resource
library, and a computer workstation with Internet access and interactive medical software.